UPDATE 1-Samsung overtakes Nokia in Western Europe - IDC

HELSINKI, May 5 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
(005930.KS) rose to the No. 1 spot in the Western European
cellphone market in the first-quarter, overtaking long-term
market leader Nokia (NOK1V.HE) on its home turf, research firm
IDC said.

Losing the No 1 position in the home market, where Nokia
has been the dominating force since the 1990s, marks another
setback for the struggling Finnish handset maker who still
makes more phones than its rivals due to its strong position in
emerging markets.

Nokia's market share in smartphones sold in Western Europe
dropped to 20 percent from 41 percent a year ago and it lost
market leader position to Apple Inc (AAPL.O) in smartphones.

"These results show how volatile this market is and how
important it is not to underestimate the trends," IDC analyst
Francisco Jeronimo said in a statement.

"Nokia is one of the most recognized and appreciated brands
in Europe, but Samsung was the one understanding the trends
first and moving faster," he said.

Samsung moved early to make touchscreen devices, it has
focused strongly on Google Inc's (GOOG.O) popular Android
platform, and it has rolled out a wide range of mid-range
feature-phones.

"Companies like Nokia may have strong brands and big market
shares as Nokia always had, but can be overtaken by their
competitors on a blink of an eye," Jeronimo said.
(Reporting by Tarmo Virki, Editing by Jane Merriman and Gerald
E. McCormick)